Fight the desire to quit

Just as probable as it is that you will have a bad day at work, the same can happen when it comes to your workout. When you have a terrible day in the gym or on the road, it's hard to see the link between bad workday/bad workout because you pretty much feel like a big failure. Whether you struggled through your 5k on the treadmill, your third repetition during strength training, or something as big as not being able to finish your marathon, it's important to remember that it happens to the best of us. It happens to the most fit, most elite. It's hard to accept this but it's the truth.
What do you do to fight through the struggle or fight to not quit? Here are some ways to keep the bad days at bay:

1). Go slower. Take your time, especially when you're not feeling into what you're doing. Take it back a notch, let yourself really warm-up and then you can speed things up.

2). Fuel properly. Don't workout or run a race on an empty stomach.

3). Stick to a fuel routine. If you normally have a banana before a workout, keep the routine going. Your body not only needs that banana but it gets accustomed to it, too. So when you take it away, the body may not perform like it usually does.

4). Unless you're truly injured or sick, finish what you start. If that means jogging/walking the remainder of your 5K/marathon or putting longer rest breaks in your strength training session, just do what it takes to finish. Even if it it isn't up to your normal standards, you'll at least know that you made the effort to complete something.

5). Use visualization techniques. Visualizing your race or gym routine will help you mentally. It may also help you develop mental toughness when you want to quit.

Working out can be a struggle on some days but it makes the good days that much more rewarding.